Jaishankar to visit Iran on Sunday amid Middle East crisis
| 2024-01-13
EAM S Jaishankar
During the visit, EAM Jaishankar will discuss issues of bilateral, regional and global concerns with his Iranian counterpart
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will embark on a two-day visit to Iran from Sunday as part of the ongoing high-level exchanges between the two countries.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, during his January 14-15 visit, EAM Jaishankar will meet Foreign Minister of Iran Dr Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and hold discussions on bilateral, regional, and global issues.
Political cooperation, connectivity initiatives and strong people-to-people ties will constitute important aspects of the agenda, the MEA said.
The EAM is visiting Iran at the time when Houthi militants’ targeting of merchant vessels in the Red Sea have become an issue of global concern.
For India particularly is that all this is happening in the Indian Ocean, a key strategic and economic theatre of the world and where India is considered as the net security provider.
On January 5, the alert Indian Navy foiled an attempt to hijack a Liberia-flagged vessel in the Arabian Sea and saved all 21 crew members, including 15 Indians who were on board the ship.
The incident has served as a stark reminder to threats posed to merchant vessels moving around Indian shores.
In the last 35 days, it was the fourth attack on ships in the Arabian Sea, this is what data from the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre reveals.
India has deployed frigates and destroyers in the central and northern Arabian Sea to assist merchant vessels passing through the region. Aerial surveillance by long-range maritime patrol aircraft and Remotely Piloted Aircraft has been enhanced to keep a track on Houthi militias’ movement in the region.
“We have Indian Navy ships patrolling the area. They are also keeping a watch on Indian ships there,” Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said.
India has been closely monitoring the unfolding situation in the Red Sea and it figured during a telephonic conversation between EAM Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on January 11, 2024.
India is concerned about the flaring up of the crisis in the Middle East and its impact on peace and security in other parts of the world.
The US and the UK have already launched airstrikes targeting Houthi’s positions in Yemen.
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